Friday, November 28, 2008
Goal for it!
A 5k is a great goal for people of all abilities and there's no better event than the UK Time Trial series. They're free, well attended and take place across the country. For your nearest event visit http://www.parkrun.com/
Of course if you want to go further 10Ks or Half Marathon's are the next step up. There's no substitute for the buzz of an event and you'll get more out of yourself than you thought possible on the day. It’s also a great way of raising money for a cause close to your heart. There's a great tool on the Runners World website which allows you to find, review and book an event at any distance www.runnersworld.co.uk/events
Our personal favourite is the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon held in Brighton every February, www.sussexbeacon.org.uk/halfmarathon Run along the sea front it’s the perfect way to burn off the Christmas Turkey!
Not far enough?...OK, well the Marathon it is then! The ultimate distance and in our opinion the ultimate place to do it is London, there are still charity places available check out the London Marathon site for full details, www.london-marathon.co.uk/site
If running's not your thing then how about a Triathlon? It's a fantastic way to get and stay fit and to have fun and it's for everyone. Human Race organise some great events in the South East for all abilities, the Woman's only triathlon is particularly recommended for female beginners, www.humanrace.co.uk/
Whichever event you choose, Enjoy!
Labels: marathon, run, running, triathlon
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Marathon
It’s a few days now since I got back from the New York Marathon and the adrenaline has just about left the building (Thankfully the post race blues have so far been barred from entering) The inspiration and my renewed love for the Marathon hasn’t and won’t leave.
The Marathon is all about people pushing themselves beyond what they thought was possible. Challenging the mind, body and soul. Yeah, the soul, try running those last few miles without digging deeper into yourself than you thought was possible. The Marathon changed my life two years ago. Since then I’ve left my office job and re-trained as a personal trainer and started Active Interest. In that time not only my own life, but those of my clients have been changed by running. One of the things I love about running and the Marathon is that it really is for everyone. This was so evident throughout the weekend, when talking to people, I spoke to those that there were hoping for sub 3 hours, others making their debut and focused on completing the distance, a group of 60 women power walking to raise money for breast cancer, people from across the globe who were hoping for PB’s and none more inspiring than the wheelchair athletes who were hauling themselves up the long slog into Manhattan on the Queensboro bridge.
So what does it take? Well, to get to the start and finish line I think you need the following:
A goal and a purpose – so much of running is a mental activity. Everyone has a different goal and inspiration but whatever it is, you will need a purpose to aim for, to drive you on through the periods of doubt and the lows and this purpose will make the highs even better.
Structured training – your training needs to include running, cross training, strength, core, flexibility and nutrition. Running is a high impact activity. At least 3 times your body weight goes through each leg when you run. Most recreational runners have sedentary desk bound jobs which results in weak musculature and then attempt to the put 30 -40 miles through the body and then wonder why they’re injured. Running alone doesn’t make you strong enough to withstand injury. It’s also vital that you only increase your running mileage by 10% each week and reduce the load each 4th week to allow the body to recover. It’s also important that you vary the intensity and duration of your runs.
Enjoyment – the Marathon is a huge commitment so make sure that it’s something that you get enjoyment from! OK, it won’t always be fun. There will be times when nothing could be worse than running another mile. But make sure you allow some time to enjoy and reflect, whether that’s on an easy training run or in a warm up half marathon or most importantly on the day itself when the atmosphere and support will lift you to new heights. Take in the highs as well as the lows.
Tempted? Or looking to go further? Well, check out the Runner’s World website,
Run strong,
Simon
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